Provincial.

PROVINCIAL .

DURHAM . FOUKDING- or A NEW MASOXIC HALL AT AA ' EST HABTLEI ? OOI ; . On Thursday , the 29 th ult ., the interesting and picturesque spectacle was exhibited of the founding , according to ancient Masonic ritual , by the brethren of the mystic tie , of an addition to the public buildings of the town , to be devoted to the future -special service of the Masonic brotherhood . The promoters of

¦ this movement are the members of the young but vigorous and prosperous Harbour of Refuge Lodge , AVest Hartlepool ; and , as a succinct and detailed history of the movement and of the lodge with which it originated is given in the document printed below , read hy the Secretary , Bro . Cacketfc , immediately before the laying of tho foundation stone , we beg to refer our readers to that interesting record , for details it would be a work of

supererogation here to repeat . Suffice it to say , that the building itself is being erected on an admirable site near Christ Church and at the end of Church-street , certainly the noblest . thoroughfare in the new town of AVest Hartlepool—and according to a design by Bv-o . JohnTilm & n , Prov . G . Architect of Sunderland ; the contractors being Bros . J . Johnson and Jonathan Salmon , and the estimated cost of the building upwards of £ 600 . The day was most propitious for the out-of-doors ceremonial

, . and a considerable number of visiting brethren were present . Most of these we name below . At about half-past eleven o ' clock in the forenoon , the Master and brethren of the Harbour of Refuge Lodge formed into procession in front of tlie Royal Hotel ( Bro . Murray , host ) , where the lodge has heretofore been

held . All were arrayed in the emblems and insignia of their order and respective offices , and the West Hartlepool Operatic Band contributed excellent music to their march , so that the mere spectacle was one creditable to the Craft , and not without interest to the uninitiated public . The procession , once set in motion , was directed in its course by the M . C ., Bro . Levy , of ¦ 'Sunderlandto the gates of Christ Churchand entered the

, , sacred edifice followed by a respectable congregation . Here divine service was joined in ; the Rev . J . G . Rowe , Incumbent of Christ Church , officiating . The chaunts were beautifully rendered by the Stranton Church Choir . The whole of the morning service was gone through by the officiating minister . Tho hymns given before and after the communion service were the llth of the collection , commencing

" Sun of my soul , Thou Saviour dear , It is not night if Thou be near ; 0 may no earth-born cloud arise To hide Thee from Thy servant ' s eyes ';" and ttic deeply pathetic and highly devotional psalm ( No . 96 in this collection ) founded on the words "The love of Christ coustraineth us . " The Rev . J . G . Rowe announced as his text for the occasion the second chapter of St . Paul ' s epistle to the

Ephesians , the 19 th and following verses : — "Now , therefore , ye are no more strangers and foreigners , but fellow-citizens with the saints , and of tho household of God : and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets , Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone ; in whom all the building , fitly framed together , groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord : to whom ye are also buildod together for a habitation of God through tlie Spirit . " The fraternity of Masons ( the preacher

said ) , involving as it does the notion of building , in a figurative sense—the building together of men in one unbroken brotherhood of Christian faith and lovo—is not out of harmony with the' sacred Scriptures . On the contrary , both in the Old aud New Testaments , figures are frequently employed , which had been taken from the builders' art . Unworthy teachers were in one passagedescribed as " unstable builders" andin tho

, ; , prophet Amos , God spoke of Himself as a builder in the following sublime terms : — " It is He that buildeth his storeys in the heaven , and hath founded his troop iu the earth ; he that calleth for the waters of the sea and poureth them out ou the the earth : tho Lord is His name . " Our blessed Lord in His sermon on the mount reminded us that those that heard His sayingsand in faith and obedience received and acted upon

, them , were " like wise builders / ' while those who heard His sayings and did them not , He likened to foolish builders . Nor need lie ( tho preacher ) remind them , that the apostles frequently selected figures from the same art . St . Paul spoke of himself as a good master builder , who hath laid a good foundation ; while in the text they were reminded what that good foundation was

— "built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets , Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone . " The great idea underlying all this was , that their foundation _ stone must be surely laid upon the rock , and their whole building fitly and firmly put together , and left to depend upon Him who- was the Alpha and the Omega , the beginning and the ending , the foundation which upheld and the topstone that finished their building . He hoped that such would be the case with the

building which was to be founded that day . " Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it . " He trusted that the ceremonial of that day would not be a mere empty show ; but that from many a pious heart the prayer would ascend , that it might he made a blessing to the brethren and subservient to His service to whom they ought lo build . He also trusted that that confraternity were builded together in the Lord . The sermon was followed , and the services closed , by the minister pronouncing the benediction .

THE CEKEHONIAL . The procession was then re-formed , and directed its course from the western gate of the churchyard to the site of the intended new building , where a temporary , gallery , raised for the accommodation of ladies , had been erected and was well filled ; and here in the regretted absence of the Rev . Bro . Cundill , the chaplainthe W . M . Dr . Kirkon silence being restoredread a

, , , form of solemn prayer and dedication to the Deity , used by the brethren on such occasions , wliich was responded to at the close with " So mote it be" from all the assembled brethren . This was followed by the singing , by the Stranton choir , of the piece " Lord for Thy dear Mercy ' s sake . " All this time the brethre had stood devoutly uncovered , and many of the bystanders joined iu their decent expression of reverence during the ,

solemnities . Meanwhile the AV . M . and his leading subordinates were ranged round the cross-trees , beneath which lay the foundation-stone of the new building about to be erected . The band accompanied by a slow tune the raising of the stone , below which was being placed a good bed of mortar ; and the Secretary presented to the W . M . a handsome silver trowel , bearing the following inscription -.

—" Presented to Bro . Geo . Kirk , W . M . of the Harbour of Refuge Lodge ( No . 764 ) , on his laying the foundation-stone of the Masonic Hall , at AVest Hartlepool , 29 th September , 1864 . " This the Prov . G . M . accepted , and then said : —Brethren , having assembled here this day for the purpose of laying the foundation stone of a Masonic Hall , it will be my duty to see the ceremony correctly performed , in conformity with our ancient usages and customs . ( Applause . ) The Prov . G . Architect then came forward , and formally presented for inspection and approval the plans and elevations of the intended

structure ; which , having examined , the AA . M . handed back , saying : " I approve the plans now submitted to me , which I return to you for the guidance and instructions of the workmen . " The Secretary ( Bro . F . J . Cackett ) then read the following record : — " The stone within the cavity of which this document is deposited is the foundation stone of a Masonic Hall , to be erected by and for the brethren of the Harbour of Refuge Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons ( No . 76-1 ) , at West

Hartlepool , in the county of Durham . This lodge was formed under warrant from the Grand Lodge of England , in the year 1859 , and has heretofore been held at the Royal Hotel , West Hartlepool . It was originally No . 1 , 066 , but that number was , on the numbering of lodges in 1863 , altered to 764 The first appointed and installed Master was Bro . George Moore , who held that office for the year ending in I 860 , and since that date the office of AV . M . has been held as follows : —Bros . John

Sutcliffe , 1860-61 ; John Sutclilfe , 1861-62 ; George Kirk , 1862-63 ; Henry Rank , 18 G 3-G 1 ; George Kirk ( present W . M . ) 1864-65 . Since the consecration of the lodge , a large number of brethren have been initiated , and the progress of the lodge lias been steady and satisfactory . It being considered desirable for the good of Freemasonry , and also for this lodge , th-. it an edifice should be built for the better holding of its meetings and other purposes connected therewitha subscription has been ,

, raised for defraying the expenses ; and a design prepared by Bro . John Tilman , of Sunderland , Prov . G . Architect has been selected by the lodge and approved by the Prov . G . M This foundation stone is accordingly now laid by the W . M .., George Kirk , acting under the dispensation from the Prov . G . M ., in Masonic form , in the presence of a large number of brethren of the lodge and of visiting brethren . Herewith are also deposited the following newspapers : —The Times , the